Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-04
CHAPTER XXJII.

You have some influence over Agnes.
Try what you can do, Henry, tn make her
tako a sensible view OF the matter. There
is really nothing to make a fuss about. My
wiie's maid knocked at her door early in
the morning, with the customary cup of
tea. Getting no answer, she went around
to the dressing room, found the
door on that side unlocked, and dis
covered Agnes on the bed in & fainting
fit. With my wife's help they brought her
II herself again, and she told the extraor-
binary story which | have just repeated to
you. You must have seen for yourself
that she has been overfatigued, poor thing,
by our long railway journeys; her nerves
are out of order, and she is inst the person
to be easily terrified by q dream. She OBJ
s~tinately refuse however, to accept this
rational view. Don't suppose that | have
been severe with her. Ali that a ma can
do to humor her l have done. l have
written to the countess lin her assumed
name), offering to restore the TO )m to her.
She writes back, positively declining to re-
turn to it. l have accordingly arranged
$50 as not to have the thing known in the
hOtel) to occupy the room for n or two
nights, and to leave Agnes Ia recover her
spirits under my wife's care. Is there any
thing more that | can do? Whatever ques-
tons Agnes has asked of me, / have an
swered to the best of my ability; she
knows all that you told me abOut Francis
and the countess last night.
"But try as | may / can't quiet her
mind. l have given up the attempt in
despair, and left her in the drawing room.
Go, like a good fellow, and try what you
can do to compose her"
In those words Lord MOntbarry stated
the case to his brother from the rational
point OF view. Henry made no remark;
he went straight to the drawing room.
He found Agnes walking rapidly back
ward and forward, flushed and excited.
at you come here to say what your brother
has been saying to me-" she broke out,
before he could speak, spare yourself the
trouble. / don't want common sense
want a true friend who will believe in
me-"
81 am that friend, Agnes" Henry an
swered, quietly, land You know it."
"You really believe that I am not deluded
by q dreamP"
81 know that you are not deluded-in
one particular, at least"
SIN what PARTICULAR
''In what you have said of the countess.
1t is perfectly true'-
Agnes stopped him there. why do i
only hear this morning that the countess
and Mrs. James are one and the same per-
SOM" she asked distrustfully. why was
| not told Of il last night?n
"You forget that you had accepted the
exchange of rooms before l reached Venice, "
Henry replied. ~ felt strongly tempted
to tell you, ever then-but your sleeping
arrangements for the night were all
made; l should only have Inconvenience
and alarmed you. i waited till the morn
ing, after hearing from my brother that
you had yourself seen to your security
from any intrusion. How that intrusion
was accomplished il is impossible to say.
l can only declare that the Countess pres.
ence by your bedside last night was no
dream Of yours. On her own authority l
can testify that il was . reality"
"Oa her W authority" Agnes repeat
ed, eagerly. Have You seen her this
morning.
81 have seen her not ten minutes since"
What was she doipg?"
'She was busily engaged in writing. /
could not even get her to look at me until
l thought of mentioning your name"
'She remembered me, Of course?''
'She remembered you with some diff
Guilty. Finding that she wouldn't answer
me on any other terms, ! questioned her
as if l had come direct from you. Then
she spoke. She not only admitted that
she had the same superstitious motives for
placing you in that room, which she had
acknowledged to Frsneis-she even owned
that she had been by your bedside, watch
ing through the night, to see what ron
saw, as she expressed it. Hearing this, /
tried to persuade her to tell me how she got
into the room, Unluekily, her manu-
script on the table caught her eye; she re-
turned to her writing. The baron wants
money she said; 4 must get on with nv
play What she saw or dreamed while
she was in your room last night it Is at
present impossible to discover. But, jndg-
ing by my brothers account of her, as well
as BY what / remember of her myself, some
recent influence has been at work which
has produced o marked change in this
wratahad uoman fnr &ha -o- ~,